A
new form of Thai Royal gift--the institutional gift--was developed in the
1880s by King Chulalongkorn. In 1881 the United States and Thailand negotiated
changes to the 1857 Harris Treaty. King Chulalongkorn wished to send a gift,
but since he had learned that Royal Gifts to the United States presidents
had been deposited at the Smithsonian Institution, he planned to send the
commemorative gift directly to the Smithsonian.

It
is interesting that the major part of this gift were “Gift of Respect” or
Khru'ang rachabannakan items, including Gum Benjamin or gambooge (Styrax
benzoin [Styracaceae]) used for skin complaints and rheumatic
conditions, rong thong (Garcinia hanburyi) used as golden-yellow
ink in Thailand; Catechu or gambir sisiat thet (Catechu gambir
(Anacardiaceae)) used as a masticatory when chewing betel; Cardamom
kra wan (Amomum krervanh, or Elettaria sp.) a spice
and medicinal remedy; Copal varnish gum yang (resinous fuel oil from
the tree Dipterocarpus alatus); Saltpeter (din pra siu); Tumeric
(kamin); Samrohng seed(met
Samrohng); Shoria Robusta mint seed (met meng-lak); lotus
seed(met bua); the useful
medicinal Nox vomica (p’on baachu); and rice (Oryza
sativa). It is possible that in giving this large “Gift of Respect”,
Thailand hoped to increase trade in these and other valuable items. This
was certainly always the goal in giving the historical “Gifts of Respect.”

King
Chulalongkorn had learned through John Halderman, the U.S. Minister in
Bangkok at the time, that the Smithsonian's curators were especially interested
in ethnological materials.Therefore,
aside from the Khru’ang rachabannakan trade items, King Chulalongkorn's
gift of 1881 consisted of fish traps and nets, probably from his own extensive
royal collections, and the flag of Siam.Although there was a Royal Letter commemorating the treaty negotiations
in 1881, it was not connected to the gift in any way, nor does it mention
the gifts.The timing of the Royal
Gift remained connected to treaty negotiations, but both the content of
the gift and the intended receiver of the gift had changed.

King Chulalongkorn sent gifts to allies around
the world in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of his coronation.
In 1893 the Tripitika,
the “Three Baskets” of Buddha’s teachings, normally recorded in the Sanskrit-based
Pali language script, was printed for the first time in Thai script at
the Royal Press. There were no Royal Letters sent out with the books;
the volumes were sent directly to institutions of learning throughout
the world on behalf of the king through the Siamese Legation office in
London (Siam did not have an embassy in Washington until 1901). Multi-volume
sets were sent to the Smithsonian Institution, to Harvard University and
to Cornell University among others.